Immigration Still an Issue

USA Today

People on both sides of the immigration debate agree it could help decide this fall's elections. "After the Iraq war, it is the issue that is paramount on everybody's mind," says House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., agrees: "It's obviously the No. 2 issue in the country."

McCain, President Bush and Democrats such as Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., believe it is important to bring illegal immigrants out of the shadows. The bill McCain helped write includes a plan to offer millions of illegal immigrants a chance at citizenship. The Senate passed it in May.

Boehner, Santorum and other conservatives back the approach taken in a competing bill passed by the House in December. It would not offer citizenship to people in the country illegally and would crack down on employers who hire them. There will be no need to deport illegal immigrants, supporters argue; they'll leave because they won't get jobs.

"We can solve this problem without even dealing with the issue of what you do with all the people who are here," Santorum said.

Casey supports the Senate bill, spokesman Doug Anderson says.

Amnesty, which the Senate bill provides, is disapproved by 80% of Pennsylvanians.